Doha Diamond League: Star-studded line-up unveiled

Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim will compete in front of a home crowd for the first time since winning silver at last year’s Olympic Games at the Doha 2017 IAAF Diamond League at Qatar Sports Club on May 5.

The Peninsula

A world-class field of Olympic and World Champions will kick off their outdoor seasons in Doha with an action-packed evening of exhilarating athletics expected in Doha on May 5.
Tickets are on sale now at www.q-tickets.com to witness athletics’ biggest stars go head to head in the Doha 2017 IAAF Diamond League at Qatar Sports Club in this unmissable fixture on the Doha sporting calendar.
Qatar’s most successful-ever athlete, Mutaz Barshim, will ensure an electric atmosphere as he returns to compete in front of a home crowd for the first time since winning silver at last year’s Olympic Games.
The 2014 World Indoor Champion cleared the second highest jump in history in the 2014 Diamond League season before claiming the 2014 and 2015 Diamond Race titles. He lost the title to Erik Kynard of the USA in 2016 and the two will go head to head once again in Doha this year in a bid to get their 2017 seasons off to a successful start.
One of the most highly-anticipated events of the evening will be the Women’s 200m where 100m and 200m Olympic Champion, Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, will face a showdown against last year’s Diamond Race winner, 2015 World Champion and 200m Rio 2016 silver medallist, Dafne Schippers of The Netherlands.
Multiple World Championships medallist, Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, and Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast, who finished fourth in the Rio 2016 200m final are the other stars who will compete in the 200m.
The Men’s 400m also promises to set Qatar Sports Club alive with a thrilling head-to-head between London 2012 Olympic Champion and 2011 World Champion, Kirani James, and Beijing 2008 Olympic Champion and 2009 and 2013 World Champion, LaShawn Merritt. Merritt, winner of last year’s Diamond Race, is the sixth fastest man in history over 400m and is one of only four men in history to have broken 20 seconds for the 200m and 44 seconds for the 400m. The Doha Diamond League will provide an early opportunity to see the form of both sprint sensations at the beginning of a World Championship season.
Doha’s large Greek community will be able to cheer on their Olympic hero, Rio 2016 Champion Katerina Stefanidi in the Women’s Pole Vault event. The 2016 Diamond Race winner will face tough competition from Rio 2016 silver medallist Sandi Morris of the USA and 2015 World Champion, Yarisley Silva of Cuba in what promises to be one of the most riveting events of the evening.
Speaking ahead of the Doha 2017 IAAF Diamond League meeting, President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, Dr Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, said:
“We are very excited to welcome so many world-class athletes to Doha once again this year, including freshly crowned Olympic Champions. There will be some enthralling rivalries ensuring a thrilling evening of memorable athletics. With so many nationalities represented, Doha’s diverse community will all have athletes to cheer on creating which promises to create a phenomenal atmosphere for people of all ages to enjoy. "